Handicap betting is a famous betting type used in sportsbooks. It is used to even the huge difference in winning odds between two teams. However, the term used to refer to this bet may seem a little odd. Why do we have to call it like that? Well, we are going to discover all that in this article. Some of you may have already heard about this bet and may have even placed one, while others may have not ever heard of this bet. Let us explore it more and what it means.
Handicap Betting: What is it?
Handicap betting is used by the bookmaker to even out the big difference in winning odds that exists between two different teams. In almost all matches there will be a favourite and an underdog. In some matches, a particular team may have a huge amount of fans. While we consider different factors, this certain team may project the highest winning odds. However, the bookmakers can not possibly let everyone think that this certain team will win the game. When you are about to bet in a game, the two of the teams should seem promising.
You may have your own favorite. However, gambling is not about hinting at the players who will win the match and helping them to make an easy and less risky bet. It is more about giving them an opportunity to take risks and a thrilling and fair experience. Therefore, bookmakers make sure that no team is biased against gambling. Handicap betting exists to remove all such most probable win notions from amongst the gamblers. Moreover, the gambling market and the common notions in the markets should not crush the spirits of the players.
How does handicap betting work?
Handicap betting alters the winning odds of each team. It may add points or goals to one team or may remove points from one team. This is done in order to remove all kinds of winning or losing impressions that a team might have even before the game starts. The altering of the points is done by the bookmaker.
There may exist some pre-game assumptions that a team is supposed to win the game. Different game analysts may reach such a conclusion point or prediction based on different factors. They may look at the players in each team, their form, the history of the players and team, the average goal possibility per player and team, the coordination and practice done by the team, the coach of the team, and many more. However, we can never be sure that a certain team will win the game solely based on these factors.
Also, this should never influence the gamblers who enter this field. Therefore, the bookmaker has to remove all these kinds of notions. If the favorite has high point expectations, the bookmaker may act to deduce points from them and bring them down. At the same time, the underdogs may have very low points. Then, the bookmaker may act to add more points to them so as to bring them up. This is done to even out the disparity between them. If you are a sports fan, you may have already found the huge variation in the winning possibilities between different teams in leagues and tournaments.
Why is it referred to as ‘handicap’ betting?
This type of betting is referred to as handicap betting because the bookmaker literally handicaps the bet by altering it. Here, in this case, the bookmaker may also be referred to as the handicapper, because that is the person who assigns the handicaps to the bets.
Handicap betting was in practice long before the advent of online gambling. Gamblers have always bet on horses and other sports from the early times onwards. Currently, you can find handicap betting in soccer, football, basketball, handball, baseball, and many more sports.
The famous sports leagues where you can find handicap betting are MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL, and many others.
Is handicap betting available in online casinos?
Yes, handicap betting is available in all the most reputed online casinos. You can sign in to our online casino account and find handicap betting in the NFL, NHL, and many other leagues that we already mentioned above. However, make sure that the casino that you have logged into is a legit one. If not, it may affect your gambling and you will end up losing all your money. That does not mean you can always win if you play in legit casinos. At least, the results of the game will be fair.
Read More: What is an If Bet? Complete Guide to If Bets in Sports Betting
